Hard Candy

In this mercilessly compelling thriller, Burke—the private eye, sting artist, and occasional hit man who metes out a cruelly ingenious vengeance on those who victimize children—is up against a soft-spoken messiah, who may be rescuing runaways or recruiting them for his own hideous purposes. But in doing so Burke becomes a target for an entire Mafia family, a whore with a heart of cyanide, and a contract killer as implacable as a heat-seeking missile. Written with Vachss's signature narrative overdrive—and his unnerving familiarity with the sub-basement of American crime—Hard Candy is vintage Burke.

Hard Candy is an American tragedy. It is a human portrayal of an uncommon nature, and no one thing contributes more to its value than its authenticity, It gives you a glimpse into the protected world of institutional"bad players,"administrators, monitors, and teachers who stood side by side with idiots and madmen and committed atrocities that caused many children to flee into an unconventional brand of protection because there was no legitimate protection for them. It also shines a light on children forced to remain in darkened basements, drained of their childhood vigor, rocking on sore tailbones alone and afraid, who were later released into the community to carry their emotional wounds for the rest of their lives, which was the coup de grAcentsce of the state's final blow. This true story is about human triumph and courage; how two brothers cared for each other when no one else would; how they understood each other when no one else did; and how they desperately clung to the needed components of love and friendship to survive, together, their ultimate victory from systemic governmental and bureaucratic misconduct

Create your own delicious, gorgeous, and professional-quality candies with The Sweet Book of Candy Making. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned candy maker, you will find mouthwatering recipes and expert tips to inspire you—and satisfy your sweet tooth. Inside, you'll find: —Candy-making essentials: all you need to know about equipment, ingredients, and techniques, including step-by-step lessons on pulling taffy, rolling truffles, filling peanut butter cups, and more —More than 50 recipes for sugar candies, fondant, caramels, toffee, fudge, truffles, chocolates, marshmallows, and fruit and nut candies —Troubleshooting tips for each type of candy —How to perfect the classics you love, from English Toffee to Chocolate Fudge to Peanut Brittle —Try your hand at something new: Pistachio Marzipan Squares, Passion Fruit Marshmallows, Mango-Macadamia Nut Caramels, Lemon Meringue Lollipops, and more —Decorating techniques to show off your tasty results Get started in your kitchen with The Sweet Book of Candy Making!

In this mercilessly compelling thriller, Burke—the private eye, sting artist, and occasional hit man who metes out a cruelly ingenious vengeance on those who victimize children—is up against a soft-spoken messiah, who may be rescuing runaways or recruiting them for his own hideous purposes. But in doing so Burke becomes a target for an entire Mafia family, a whore with a heart of cyanide, and a contract killer as implacable as a heat-seeking missile. Written with Vachss's signature narrative overdrive—and his unnerving familiarity with the sub-basement of American crime—Hard Candy is vintage Burke.

When Candice "Candy" Hardaway, the daughter of deceased New York drug kingpin Eric "Easy" Hardaway, set out to get revenge on the people who killed her entire family, she positioned herself knee deep in the game. While getting close to her father's alleged enemies, Candy uncovered some long-buried secrets that were never meant for her to find out. These secrets also destroyed the only family member she had left—her uncle Rock. With Uncle Rock dead, Candy is back to find out more about her father's buried past; but this time Candy quickly goes from being the hunter to the hunted, and more than one bounty is put on her head. This dramatic sequel will uncover more secrets, lies, murders, and deception. Who will fulfill their need for revenge first—the people who really destroyed her family, or the hustlers that Candy wrongfully targeted? Will Candy be able to use her skills as a "cleaner" this time to stay alive, or will someone have to ultimately save her from her enemies?

Winner of the 2018 International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Cookbook Award for "Baking" category This game-changing candy cookbook from the owner of Quin, a popular Portland-based candy company, offers more than 200 achievable recipes using real, natural ingredients for everything from flavor-packed fruit lollipops to light-as-air marshmallows. Chai Tea Lollipops, Honey and Sea Salt Marshmallows, Chocolate Pretzel Caramels, Cherry Cola Gumdrops—this is not your average candy, or your average candy book. Candy-maker extraordinaire Jami Curl breaks down candy making into its most precise and foolproof steps. No guess work, no expensive equipment, just the best possible ingredients and stop-you-in-your-tracks-brilliant flavor combinations. She begins with the foundations of candy; how to create delicious syrups, purees, and “magic dusts” that are the building blocks for making lollipops, caramels, marshmallows, and gummy candy. But even more ingeniously, these syrups, purees, and magic dusts can be used to make a myriad of other sweet confections such as Strawberry Cream Soda, Peanut Butter Hot Fudge, Marshmallow Brownies, and Popcorn Ice Cream. And what to do with all your homemade candy? Jami has your covered, with instructions for making candy garlands, tiny candy-filled pinatas, candy ornaments, and more—you are officially party ready. But this is just the tip of the deliciously sweet iceberg--packed with nearly 200 recipes, careful step-by-step instruction, tips for guaranteed success, and flavor guides to help you come up with own unique creations—Candy is Magic is a candy call to action!

If one man is good, then two are so much better. An erotic romance anthology for those who like it hot, hard and oh so wickedly delicious, with stories by USA Today bestselling author Angela Knight, and erotic romance rising stars Morgan Hawke and Sheri Gilmore. PUBLISHER'S NOTE: This anthology is also available in e-book format, and contains material some readers may find offensive.